Did Sasheer Zamata Shine In Her SNL Debut?

Sure, some people tuned in to Saturday Night Live last night to watch host and musical guest Drake show off his comedy chops and flirt on stage with Jhene Aiko. However, most people tuned in to see how new cast member Sasheer Zamata would fare on her first night in Studio 8H. Would she be funny? Would she crumble under the pressure? Would she even get stage time?

Featured players are notoriously underused on their first seasons on Saturday Night Live. That said, Saturday Night Live loves tackling controversy. They used Kerry Washington’s hosting gig to call attention to the fact that there wasn’t a black female cast member back in the fall. So, no one knew if Zamata would be stuck off-stage or trotted out to make a statement. As it turns out, it was neither.

Zamata appeared in five sketches throughout the night and she was seen on screen for about five minutes and change (according to our stopwatch). She wasn’t the star of any of those sketches, but she did shine as “Rihanna playing Blossom” bit in a sketch that cast famous rap stars in classic sitcoms. Zamata also provided a great vocal hook on a pre-taped sketch that mocked people’s inability to commit to New Year’s Resolutions.

All in all, Zamata had a stellar debut on Saturday Night Live. She got to show off her singing and impression skills. She seemed to fit in well with the rest of the cast. She looked absolutely elated during the closing credits. Oh, and she got a hug and shout out from Drake. Not bad. Not bad at all…